The Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, on Wednesday gave the Federal Government fourteen-day ultimatum to either charge the National Coordinator of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Chidibere Onwudiwebe to court or release him unconditionally.
Leader of MASSOB, Comrade Unchenna Madu made the demand while addressing journalists in Nnewi, Anambra State.
Onwudiwe alongside some pro-Biafra agitators have been in detention since June 7, 2016 without trial, an action both MASSOB and CD frowns at.
According to Madu, Onwudiwe’s continued detention without trial is barbaric and smacks of military mentality and dictatorship by the present government.
Madu said, “The illegal detention of Mr. Chidiebere Onwudiwe, David Nwawusi, Innocent Orji, Sabastine Amadi and other activists is unacceptable, and we demand their immediate trial or unconditional release .
“The world believes that Nigeria is operating a democratic government, but in this administration, Buhari is still using military mentality to govern and direct the affairs of the country. This government does not understand what democratic government is all about.
“The way they use soldiers to infringe on people’s rights, is unacceptable to democracy, look at the way this government invaded the judges, it portrays them and them as people that are drunk with power. I am aware that the three times he wanted to be the President and the fourth time he succeeded, it showed desperation and a grand plot to enslave Nigerians.
“We demand that all our detainees should be charged to court or released unconditionally, keeping them incommunicado will not solve the problem, the more you detain our members, the more people are being motivated and revived.
“Today in conjunction with Campaign for Democracy we demand that all our members currently being detained should be arraigned in the court in the next two weeks, failure to do that we will still maintain our non violent posture, but we will continue to introduce certain methodology on the principle of non violence that Nigeria will not understand.”
MASSOB had in September demanded the release of Onwudiwe alongside other freedom fighters, including Nnamdi Kanu.
Comments